Chapter 387: Psychological Consultation

Weigong Qiesi stood before a simple, light-colored wooden door, silent for a few seconds.

The doorplate bore simple black characters: 【Psychological Consultation Room·Chang Ye】.

The air was filled with a soothing lavender scent.

He instinctively patted his trench coat pocket, pulled out a slightly crumpled pack of cigarettes, skillfully shook out one and held it between his lips, then lit it with a lighter.

He took a deep drag, letting the nicotine mixed with tar swirl in his lungs, then slowly exhaled a grayish-white plume.

This action was almost instinctive, as if it could steady some emotions about to overflow.

Then he turned the doorknob and walked in.

The indoor lighting was warm and soft, with beige curtains half-drawn, blocking out overly strong daylight.

The room wasn't large, simply furnished: a wide dark desk, behind it a bookshelf packed with books and folders; a comfortable-looking off-white single sofa faced the desk; in the corner sat a few potted plants, their leaves spread out.

Behind the desk sat a woman in a fitted white coat.

She looked young, her pink hair pulled back simply, a few strands falling at her ears, accentuating her fair, delicate face, which appeared all the more composed.

Most striking were her eyes, a rare scarlet red, now lifted from the document in her hands to gaze at the entering Weigong Qiesi, her expression calm.

"Mr. Weigong Qiesi?"

She spoke, her voice cool yet clear and soft: "Please sit. I am Chang Ye, your appointed psychological counselor." She pointed to the single sofa.

Weigong Qiesi nodded, said nothing more, walked to the sofa and sat down.

The sofa was indeed soft, able to support his body well, yet he remained sitting upright, his back not fully leaning back, maintaining a subtle alert posture.

He absently tapped the ash of his half‑burned cigarette against the edge of the crystal ashtray on the coffee table.

Chang Ye Yue set down the folder in her hands, folded her hands on the desk, and leaned forward slightly.

"Thank you for your trust in coming here. Before we officially begin, I want to confirm once more that everything we discuss today will be kept strictly confidential. You can feel free to speak of anything troubling you, no matter how… unusual it may sound."

Weigong Qiesi took another puff, exhaled the smoke, then said softly, "Mm. I know the rules."

His voice was a little hoarse.

"So, Mr. Weigong Qiesi, what mainly brought you here today to discuss? Or has anything recently happened that's made you feel pressured, anxious, or… hard to comprehend?"

Chang Ye Yue guided the conversation, her scarlet eyes calmly fixed on him, as if able to embrace any extraordinary tale.

Weigong Qiesi fell silent for a moment, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the cigarette filter.

The distant "construction noise" outside seemed to faintly sound, and he slightly furrowed his brow.

"Doctor,"

He finally spoke, his voice dry: "What I'm about to say…… might be a bit…… hard to believe. Even I wonder if I'm just overworked or if something's wrong, causing hallucinations."

He gave a self‑deprecating tug at the corner of his mouth, but the smile held no warmth.

"Please rest assured, Mr. Weigong Qiesi."

Chang Ye Yue's tone showed no wavering: "In my work I've heard many experiences that seem unbelievable to ordinary people. The human inner world is far more complex than its surface; sometimes, seemingly absurd memories are exactly how the subconscious tries to convey important information. You just need to honestly speak of your feelings and experiences."

Weigong Qiesi seemed to relax his tense shoulders a little.

He glanced at the cigarette burning down between his fingers, then looked up at Chang Ye Yue, indicating with his eyes the ashtray.

"Please go ahead." Chang Ye Yue gave a slight nod.

Weigong Qiesi pressed the butt out in the ashtray, then pulled a fresh cigarette from the pack and lit it.

This time he took a deep draw and slowly exhaled a series of smoke rings, as if using the motion to straighten his tangled thoughts.

The white smoke curled up before him, blurring the usual hard lines on his face.

"Doctor,"

He spoke again, his voice much lower: "I…… have a family. A very happy family."

He said this slowly, each word as if being painfully squeezed from his chest, carrying an almost devout yet faintly fragile quality.

"My wife, Alice, she…… is fine, gentle, kind, keeping the household in good order. My daughter, Ilya, is adorable, in elementary school, her grades are good, and she's very attached to me."

His gaze drifted a bit, as if he really saw those warm scenes, the corner of his mouth even twitching into a genuine soft arc, but it quickly vanished, replaced by a deeper gloom.

"And…… Al."

When he mentioned that name, his tone grew more complex: "It's…… well, I adopted it. A lion. Golden‑yellow, with thick fur, looking…… quite imposing, but actually its temperament is a bit…… well, how to say, simple‑hearted? Quite obedient, it usually likes to lie in the yard basking in the sun. Ilya loves playing with it."

Chang Ye Yue timely gave a slight nod, showing she was listening attentively, displaying no surprise at "keeping a lion at home," as if such cases were ordinary in her practice.

This to some extent eased Weigong Qiesi's psychological pressure while he was speaking.

"Our life…… has always been calm. I have a fairly stable job, income enough to support the household. Alice stays home looking after Ilya and…… Al. Every day after work I come home, see the lights on, hear Ilya's footsteps running toward me, and Alice bustling in the kitchen…… I feel this is the life I want."

His tone was full of cherishing this tranquility.

"But……"

Weigong Qiesi's voice suddenly dropped, the fingers holding his cigarette trembling slightly, ash falling away: "But recently…… something has happened. Some…… things I can't comprehend at all, even feeling…… that the world has become distorted."

He took a big drag on his cigarette, as if trying to force down some surging emotion.

Chang Ye Yue's gaze remained calm, merely sitting up a bit straighter, a flicker of understanding crossing her scarlet eyes, but she kept a fully professional listening posture: "What happened, Mr. Weigong Qiesi? Please take your time."

Weigong Qiesi, his breathing grew a little heavy, his eyes conflicted, as if resisting the collapse that speaking the truth might bring.

But the doctor's calm, inclusive gaze, and the sense of safety the setting itself provided, eventually let him force his mouth open.

"…… It's Al. And…… Alice." He almost gritted his teeth saying those two names.

"About…… a week ago? The exact time is a bit fuzzy. I came home from work as usual."

He spoke slowly, as if reliving the scene: "That day the yard was quiet; Al wasn't lying in his usual spot. I found it odd, but didn't think much of it, assuming he'd gone around to the back of the house. I went inside."

"Everything seemed normal…… until I went upstairs, intending to change clothes first."

His voice began to shake, the fingers gripping his cigarette turning white from pressure: "I passed the master bedroom…… the door was ajar. I heard…… a sound from inside."

He paused for a long time, long enough that the cigarette was almost burned down to the filter.

Chang Ye Yue did not urge him on, simply waiting in silence.

I… I don't know why, I just… just leaned over and looked inside through the crack in the door.

Wei Gong's voice was so low it was almost inaudible, "And then… and then I saw…"